AUSTIN, Texas — Austin city leaders are calling for greater transparency and stronger safety measures for autonomous vehicles following a high-profile incident that raised concerns about how the technology performs in emergencies. During a special meeting on Wednesday, members of the City Council’s Public Safety and Mobility Committee reviewed issues involving self-driving vehicles, including a viral video showing a Waymo blocking an ambulance responding to the deadly March 1 mass shooting on West Sixth Street. A Waymo spokesperson told KVUE on Monday the company has already discussed the incident with city and state leaders, sharing lessons learned and potential improvements. However, the company declined an invitation to attend Wednesday’s public meeting – something some council members criticized because they felt Austinites should hear directly from company representatives. “We want greater transparency, accountability and public understanding,” said Mobility Committee Vice Chair Zo Qadri, whose district includes Sixth Street. Concerns go beyond one incident City leaders emphasized the ambulance delay was not an isolated issue. During the meeting, Austin Fire Battalion Chief Matt Holmes testified that first responders used hand signals to try to move up to five Waymos stacked up at Guadalupe and Sixth streets, with ambulances stacking behind them. “They tried for several minutes, reporting that the light at that intersection cycled several times, but unfortunately those tactics were not successful," said Holmes. "Then those personnel actually had to make contact with the Waymo, talk to remote assist, and then eventually the Waymos were able to proceed out of the transportation corridor.” In response, a Waymo representative told KVUE that traffic passed on the right side of the stuck autonomous vehicle and that no emergency vehicles were directly blocked. They also noted pedestrians were crossing in front of their AV as it was determining when to proceed through the light.